convoluted
Americanadjective
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twisted; coiled.
-
complicated; intricately involved.
a convoluted way of describing a simple device.
adjective
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(esp of meaning, style, etc) difficult to comprehend; involved
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wound together; coiled
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of convoluted
Explanation
If something is convoluted, it's intricate and hard to understand. You'll need to read over your brother's convoluted investment scheme a few times before deciding whether or not to go in on it. Convoluted comes from the Latin convolutus for rolled up together. Its original meaning in English was exactly that, first for eaves coiled up on themselves, then for anything rolled or knotted together. Over time convoluted took on its metaphorical sense of complicated and intricate, which is how it's generally used today. People complain about convoluted legal language and the convoluted tax code.
Vocabulary lists containing convoluted
The Glass Castle
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"Names/Nombres" by Julia Alvarez
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The Color of Water
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
